Agape

Greek for “Love without Limits”

A Publication of North Olmsted United Methodist Church Vol. 51 Issue 8 October 2017

Inside this issue:

Reverend Mark L. Steiger 440-779-6634, ext. 16

Admin. Assistant: Sharon Werner 440-779-6634, ext. 10

Christian Education: Wendy Cooper 440-779-6634, ext. 13

Organist: Marlene Dirksen

Choir Director: Gabriela Martinez

Stephen Ministry: Janis Jarvis 440-779-6634, ext. 12

Nursery Caregiver: Claire Taller

News & Notes 2

Reverend’s Remarks 3

Education 4

Outreach 5

Long Range Planning 6

Stephen Ministry, UMW

Birthdays & Anniversaries 7

Worship, Thank You Notes 8

Prayer Concerns 9

Calendar 10

Community Meal 11

Church Staff

Church Mouse

North Olmsted United

Methodist Women’s Annual

Saturday, October 14, 2017

9 am to 3 pm

Over 20 Local Crafters

Free Admission

Food

Bake Sale

Page 2

News and Notes from NOUMC

The UMW Ladies are selling the Cleveland version of the

Save Around Coupon Books. The 2017 edition has a local and a national coupon section. Books are available in fellowship hall and the

church office.

Youth will learn basic stage craft while re-

hearsing a play. Students will learn how to au-

dition, create a character, vocalization, move-

ment and props while working on a show to be

presented the last weekend. Have fun, meet

new friends & get creative!

Cost - $130 includes script

(2 family members $ 225, 3 family members—$ 300)

Director/ Instructor - Jim Volkert

330-603-8334

As you have heard, our church will be creating a

new directory. The directory will be updated with

all the new faces, addresses and phone numbers.

Bring the whole family and the family pet if you

would like to have them included! You will receive

a free 8 x 10 portrait and a directory with your par-

ticipation. We would like to have everyone partici-

pate whether you attend church once or twice per

year or if you attend every week.

Picture taking day will be on Monday, 10/23 and

Tuesday, 10/24. You have a couple of ways to

sign up to have your picture taken. You can visit

the church web site click on the link to schedule

your appointment or see us after church on 10/1,

10/8 and 10/15. We will be happy to assist you. If

you have any questions, please contact the office.

Youth Theater Camp at NOUMC Oct. 7- Nov. 25

Saturdays 10 am -12:30

Mark your

calendars for...

The North Olmsted

United Methodist

Men’s Annual

TURKEY DINNER Saturday, November 4th

5:00 - 7:00 PM

Traditional turkey dinner with all the

Trimmings!

Watch for ticket info in your bulletin

or call the church office for tickets

at 440-779-6634

Page 3

Generosity Times Two. . . Rev. Mark Steiger

As a United Methodist pastor, I am frequently asked by other ministers,

family and friends, “How are things at your church?” To that, I usually give

two responses. First, I tell them that it is an exciting time to be at North

Olmsted UMC. There is an energy, a vitality, and a “can do” attitude with-

in the church. It’s a busy time at the church. A lot of good work is being

done; and, indeed, a busy church is a healthy church.

The second thing I regularly tell people is that the congregation of North

Olmsted UMC is very generous with both their time and their money.

And for that I am extremely grateful, because the first thing, the energy, vitality, and overall

ministry cannot happen without the generosity. It takes those two ingredients, time and mon-

ey, to support the ministry and mission of our church.

I am also extremely grateful for the work of our Long Range Planning Team. In large part, it is

the work of these individuals that have helped breath new energy into our congregation. As

our initial planning is coming to completion, we are at the point of beginning to implement the

Long Range Plan - “Our Faithful Journey.” (Note: I say “our initial planning,” because this is “a

work in progress.” It will be revisited and revised on a regular basis.) I am truly excited about

“Our Faithful Journey.” It promises great things for this church – ministries that will support

us today and lead us into the future.

That being said, the “Journey” can only happen with the support of our congregation in those

two significant areas – time and money. That’s why our fall Stewardship Campaign is being di-

rectly tied to “Our Faithful Journey.” The ministries outlined in the plan will take the commit-

ment of the congregation. They will take some more volunteer hours, and they will take an

increase in our operating budget. This year, Andy Walsh has agreed to again lead our steward-

ship efforts. Andy has done an outstanding job leading our Long Range Planning Team, and I’m

thankful for his efforts.

Through the month of October, you’ll be hearing more about the stewardship of time and

money, and how these will support our church in the present and into the future. Time and

Money: It’s Generosity Times Two. Given the generosity of this congregation, I have total con-

fidence that NOUMC will continue to be a great church for many years to come. Thanks to

all for your parts in this support of our church and “Our Faithful Journey.”

See you in church,

Rev. Mark

Christian Education

Page 4

Sunday School: 9:00 AM On September 10th, we kicked off a brand new school year with a Rally Day celebration in our Ele-mentary, Middle and Young Adult classes. The younger kids gathered to play some games and the young adults spent some time chatting and catch-ing up while preparing a yummy waffle feast before joining the younger classes to eat and to talk about our new mission project. We had a lot of fun! All of our Sunday School classes are now in session, and there are classes available for all ages, including an adult class, an elementary class, a middle school class, and a young adult class for grades 7 and up. Our Elementary class will start off the year learning that God made us...and what God made us to do. We have a Middle School class this year! They will be learning God's story using the Sparkhouse "Connect" curriculum. Our Young Adult class will be learning about our basic Christian beliefs by studying the Apostle's Creed, and what it means to be a disciple of Christ by studying Romans Chapter 12. The young adults will be mixing in some fun activities and service projects, too. Our Adult class will be led by Craig Mueller again this year; however, the Stephen Ministers have taken over his class for a time so that they can lead a class based on the book "Christian Caregiving: A Way Of Life. Sunday School Mission Project After the recent devastating hurricane and flooding in Texas and Louisiana, our Sunday School classes have decided that our mission project this year will be Hurricane Harvey Relief. Since it is such a recent event, at this time we aren't exactly sure what direc-tion our project will take or how our fundraising efforts will be donated. We are also hoping to connect in some way with the kids that attend a UMC in the Hou-ston area. While the scope of the disaster seems huge and we may feel like our efforts will be too small to make any difference, scripture tells us something different. In Acts 11:27-30, the church in Antioch became aware of an impending disaster that would be worldwide in scope. Since the church couldn’t meet the needs of the whole world, they chose to do what they could do: focus their efforts in one local area. They chose to help the believers in Judea. ( "Then the disciples, eve-ry man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea..." Acts 11:29) In our Sunday School classes this year, our kids will be learning what it means to be Disciples of Christ and how they can live out their faith, and

through our mission project, they will be given the chance to do so! We will do what we can do...we will focus our efforts on a limited area and concentrate on helping a specific group of people so that we can be as effective as possible, and we will spread the love and Good News of Jesus Christ along the way! Fundraisers! Stay tuned for further information and updates and keep your eyes out for our very first fundraiser...MONKEY BREAD! We will be making and sell-ing Monkey Bread on October 15th. We will be taking orders this time so hopefully everyone will get some! Look for order forms in your bulletin or Fellowship Hall in October. Sunday School Service Project: Birthday Bags - Donations Requested This year, alongside our annual mission project, the kids would like to do several small, simple service projects that would benefit our church or our commu-nity as another way of learning how they can live out their faith. Our very first project will be to make "Birthday in a Bag" party bags and donate them to the Oxcart Food Pantry. Each bag will contain everything needed for a festive birthday party:

These things are often the last thing on the list when a family is worried about where their next meal will come from. We will be assembling Birthday Bags on October 22nd. The kids would gladly accept and greatly appreciate donations from our congregation of any of the items that are needed or a to put together the birthday bags, or a monetary donation if you would rather we do the shopping.

fun gift bags

cake mix

frosting

sprinkles

streamers

balloons

candle

party hats

noise makers

small gifts (such as bubbles, chalk, stickers, crayons or candy)

Our Elementary and Middle School classes will be cele-

brating Halloween on October 29th! Kids are welcome to come in cos-

tume and to bring a friend!

Happy Halloween!

Outreach Committee

Page 5

New 2018 Calendars are being collected for distribution to Laura's Home, City Mission and area

prisons. If you know of other facilities which could use the calendars (such as nursing homes) please let the Outreach Committee know.

Oxcart Pantry Items

Canned Meat & Fish Due Oct. 8

Canned Sweet Potatoes Stuffing

November

Well, we managed to eke out our 70 jars of spaghetti sauce for the food pantry in September. Right now we are collecting meat and fish, which are due October 8th. Please remember that the cans of meat are really preferred over the fish, but all are wel-comed. In November we will be helping to fill the Thanksgiving bags of groceries. Churches are assigned different parts of the Thanksgiving meal. Our items are cans of sweet potatoes and boxes of stuffing. Although no one has been assigned them, we could probably add marshmallows and brown sugar.

Medical Mission to Haiti

Dr. Lenore Jarvis, daughter of David and Janis will be going with a team of doctors to Haiti to provide much needed medical care. She will be taking supplies to give to those in need. If you would like to contribute items, here is a list of needed items:

New Collection - 2018 Calendars

Hat & Mitten Tree October 1st through 29th we will be collecting hats scarves, gloves and mittens to “dress” our Hat and Mitten Tree. These donations will be given to Brookside Community Center and OhioGuidestone to help keep those in need warm this winter.

Clipped Coupons for the Military We are still collecting clipped coupons for military families to use at the PX. Place them in the envelope under the Outreach bulletin board (by the nursery).

October Penny Sunday - Red Bird Mission

Red Bird Mission, a United Methodist supported national mission in-stitution in Beverly, Kentucky, works to ease rural poverty symptoms for people of all ages in its Appalachian community. It is the largest and most comprehensive United Methodist mission in the United States. It serves over 10,000 people annually. The mission works to reduce suffering and give people new energy to develop long-term solutions that will allow them to overcome the financial poverty. It is a complete, thorough program that nourishes its beneficiaries and provides strength with the goal to provide education, economic and spiritual reform in the bleak economic times. The donation will go to help the mission advocate for improved community conditions necessary for economic development that will lead to long term reduction of poverty for the people served.

Powdered Infant Formula Onesies and infant clothes (gently used is okay) bar soap,

Disposal Diapers—size small shampoo Toothbrush & Toothpaste

Page 6

As many of you know, following NOUMC’s 50th anniversary in

September of 2016 a team of several members began work-

ing on a long-range strategy for the church. The goals of this

effort included both enriching the worship experience of our

current members and ensuring the mission and vitality of the

church for future generations. This work continued prayerfully

through 2017, and resulted in a strategy framework, now

called Our Faithful Journey, that was approved by the Admin-

istrative Board in a special session in early September. Our

Faithful Journey sets out an ambitious and exciting vision of

what NOUMC will be by 2025. You will be hearing more

about the elements and programs of Our Faithful Journey throughout the next weeks and months.

We hope that you will be as excited about the Journey as we are.

The guiding principles of Our Faithful Journey are the foundational ambitions of the church. These

principles build on our core United Methodist beliefs and articulate how we want our members and

the North Olmsted community to view the church. All the programs you will hear about in the com-

ing months will be designed to strengthen these attributes of NOUMC. These principles are aspi-

rational; some are good descriptors of NOUMC currently and some need more work to become

real.

The success of Our Faithful Journey depends on our membership having a deep understanding of

our guiding principles. That is, these principles need to become part of the church’s DNA. We en-

courage everyone to commit them to memory and make them come alive in the work we all do for

the church. You will be hearing much about the principles over the next few months, beginning

with a series of sermons from Rev. Mark that will expound on each of them. In the meantime, we

encourage you to keep them where you will see them frequently (perhaps on your desk or refriger-

ator) to remind yourself of their importance.

At North Olmsted United Methodist Church, we will follow the guiding principles of Our Faithful

Journey:

We appreciate and invest in our youth

We actively serve our neighbors in the North Olmsted community and the wider world

We provide varied opportunities for people to grow in their faith

We welcome and nurture a diverse congregation who become extended family

We foster lasting personal relationships, which are especially important in a digital world

As you learn more, please contact Andy Walsh or any member of the long-range planning team if

you are interested in helping with any activity related to Our Faithful Journey.

Our Faithful Journey

Page 7

United Methodist Women

The phrase, be kind to everyone because you do not know what

crosses they bear, is well known. One of the tools in Stephen Min-

istry is active listening. You listen for the person’s feelings within

their story. A Stephen Minister reflects back those feelings without

interjecting their experiences, opinions, judgments, or possible so-

lutions. Stephen Ministers check what they are hearing by reflect-

ing back the specifics and the feelings they think the person is ex-

pressing. The person hears their story, and clarifies. Sometimes a

person just needs to be truly heard.

After an enjoyable trip to Amish country, it's time to

get to work. The tables for the Church Mouse Craft

Show have been rented out for quite awhile. We

hope that you will stop by to check out some of the

crafts. You can get some neat decorating ideas or

do some early Christmas shopping. If nothing else,

come join us for lunch. We will also be having a

bake sale, so we would appreciate your help with

baked goods donations. The date for all the fun is

October 14 from 9:00 to 3:00. Hope to see you all

there.

We still have some room in the attic for rummage

sale items, or you can keep them at home. You will

hear more about this sale next month, but keep in

mind that the sale is November 11, and we will be

asking for your help earlier in that week. We could-

n't do any of these activities without your help, and

we will be giving away our money later on in No-

vember, as well as heading to the Lodi Outlet Mall.

Keep checking the bulletins and Agape to join us.

Church Mouse Craft Fair Saturday, October 14th, 2017

9 am to 3 pm Lunch & Bake Sale too!

Saturday, November 11, 2017 9 am to 3 pm

Lunch & Bake Sale too!

Fall

Rummage

Sale

Stephen Ministry

Page 8

One of the most significant opportunities to serve the church is to serves as an usher. The role of usher is central to the worship experience. Their responsibilities include:

Turning the lights and sound system on Passing out attendance pads during the prelude and getting a head count Collecting the offering Dimming the lights during the sermon & prayer Helping with the Communion Service

Each Sunday we need a head usher and 3 others to assist with the offering. The worship committee will offer usher training and it takes less than a half hour. There will be a sign-up slip in the bulletin in the coming weeks. If you are willing to serve, and we hope you are, simply fill out the slip and place it in the offering plate or drop it off in the office.

An Opportunity To Serve

Thank You Notes….

North Olmsted UMC 4600 Dover Center Rd. North Olmsted, Oh 44070 Phone 440-779-6634

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Sunday, October 1 World Wide Communion Sunday 9 am - Sunday School 10:00 am-Fellowship 10:30 am-Worship 11:30 am-Fellowship Noon - SPRC Meeting Noon - New Member Class

2 7:30 Bells 8:30 AA

3 11am AA 7 pm Bible Study

4 10 am-UMW 8:30 AA

5 7 pm Choir Practice

6 2 pm Mem. Serv. For Juanita Wyrick at Sunset

7 8:30 am UMM Breakfast at Canary’s 9-10 am Fitness Class 10-12:30 Drama Workshop

Sunday, Oct. 8

9 am - Sunday School 10:00 am-Fellowship 10:30 am-Worship 11:30 am-Fellowship Noon - New Member Class

9 7:30 Bells 8:30 AA

10 11am AA 6 –7 Daisy Scouts 7 pm Bible Study

11 10 am-UMW 8:30 AA

12 10- 2 St. Richard’s Faithful Friends 7 pm Choir Practice

13 2-6 pm Craft Sale Set Up

14 9 am-3 pm UMW Craft Sale 10-12:30 Drama Workshop

Sunday, Oct. 15 Penny Sunday 9 am - Sunday School 10:00 am-Fellowship 10:30 am-Worship 11:30 am-Fellowship Noon - New Member Class 6:30 - 8 Venture Scouts

16 7:30 Bells 8:30 AA

17 11am AA

7 pm SPRC at Westlake UMC 7 pm Bible Study

18 10 am-UMW 8:30 AA

19 7 pm Choir Practice

20

21 9-10 am Fitness Class 10-1 Stamp Social 10-12:30 Drama Workshop

Sunday, Oct. 22

Stewardship Sunday 9 am - Sunday School 10:00 am-Fellowship 10:30 am-Worship 11:30 am-Fellowship Noon– Potluck

23 2-8 pm Photo Session 7:30 Bells

8:30 AA

24 11am AA 1 pm Alz. Assoc. 2-8 pm Photo Session 6 –7 Daisy Scouts 7 pm Bible Study

25 10 am UMW 8:30 AA

26 4:30-6 pm Community Meal (St. Richard’s) 7 pm Choir Practice

27

28 9-10 am Fitness Class 10-12:30 Drama Workshop

Sunday, Oct. 29

Reformation Sunday 9 am - Sunday School 10:00 am-Fellowship 10:30 am-Worship 11:30 am-Fellowship Noon - Ad Board Meeting

30

7:30 Bells 8:30 AA

31 11am AA 7 pm Bible Study

Nov. 1 10 am-UMW

8:30 AA

2 7 pm Choir Practice

3

48:30 am UMM Breakfast at Canary’s 9-10 am Fitness Class 5-7 pm UMM Turkey Dinner

Page 9

Office Hours: Monday–Wed. 10 am - 8 pm Thursdays - 2 to 5:30 pm Christian Ed Office Hours: Mondays - 1 to 3 pm Thursdays - Noon to 3 pm

Non-Profit Organization

U.S. Postage Paid

North Olmsted, Ohio

Permit No. 25

4600 Dover Center Rd.

North Olmsted, Ohio 44070

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

DATED MATERIAL - DO NOT DELAY

October Agape Newsletter

Held at North Olmsted United Methodist Church

4600 Dover Center Rd., North Olmsted, Ohio 44070

440-779-6634

We are a handicap accessible facility

The Free Community Meal is a mission of North Olmsted United Methodist Church with assistance from our friends at St. Richard and St. Clarence Catholic Churches and others in the community. All meals are funded by donations and the dinners are prepared and served by volunteers. Menu’s may change because of donated food or food pricing. Additional volunteers are always welcome! If you would like more information, please contact us at 440-779-6634.

NORTH OLMSTED UNITED METHODIST’S

FREE COMMUNITY MEAL

Thursday, October 26, 2017

Serving 4:30 - 6:00 pm

Our friends from St. Richard’s will be here and will serve

Sloppy Joes, Au Gratin Potatoes, Vegetable, Pickle,

Dessert and Beverages. Join us for dinner and fellowship!